At present, of the 23 million acres of forest the State owns 16%, corporations somewhat over 20%, churches, cloisters and other institutes 7.5%, and the balance, over 13 million acres, is owned privately. The administration of the State forests is in the Department of Agriculture but some are still under the control of the military and railroad departments. All but the private forests are under State surveillance. Of the private properties the majority consists of large holdings and about ten per cent. are entailed, a hopeful condition for conservative management. Yet with an export of 10 to 12 million dollars or more, exploitation would appear still to be general, and devastated areas abound. It is claimed that half the area is under working plans, and that the 1000 million cubic feet of annual cut do not approach the annual increment. The State forests yield now in the neighborhood of $600,000 net. Although naturally influenced by Austrian precedent, forestry matters in Hungary like all matters of administration are largely independent of Austria, the connection being only in the identity of the ruler. The forests, which had been for the most part the property of the kings of the Arpad dynasty, had by them been turned over from time to time in donations to the churches, cloisters and to colonists, so that when the Hapsburgs succeeded on the throne, in 1526, only a small portion remained undisposed, and this became State property. In the forests which were necessary for the working of the royal mines and furnaces, an attempt was early made to secure systematic treatment under an ordinance (1565) which gave instructions as to the order of fellings, the reservation of seed trees, etc. But, otherwise, the government did not make much effort at regulating forest use until the middle of the 18th century, and then, largely owing to military considerations, urged by General von Engelshofen commanding on the frontier against the Turks. The planting of forests for defense was ordered (1743) by Maria Theresa, but this order was probably never executed. About this time, however, movements of reform in various directions are noticeable. Complete working plans were made for the Kremnitz forest in 1750, and for the Schemnitz forest in 1763. The forest ordinances of 1770 and 1781 and the law of 1791 attempted to regulate the use of communal forests, and ordered the reservation of devastated forest areas. Other legislation followed in 1807, designed to arrest the further extension of shifting sands. Although, since 1809, forest inspectors had been employed to look after the execution of the forest laws, mismanagement and forest destruction by promiscuous cutting, pasture and fire remained the rule, and with the advent of the railroads, in 1850, increased apace.